Situation at a glance: Israel warns the new rulers in Syria

While the rebels in Syria want to ensure stability with a transitional government after the fall of long-term ruler Bashar al-Assad, Israel is issuing sharp warnings to the new rulers. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made it clear that any threat to Israel would be fought relentlessly. He had previously ordered the almost complete destruction of the neighboring country’s military capabilities. The leader of the Islamist group Haiat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) said Syria was on the path to stability and would be rebuilt.

Western countries’ fears that the bloodshed in Syria could continue after the fall of Assad are “unnecessary,” HTS leader Ahmed al-Sharaa told Sky News. He had previously appeared under his nom de guerre Abu Mohammed al-Julani. The Islamist said the danger came from Assad’s government and pro-Iranian militias. “Eliminating them is the solution.”

Israel’s army bombs almost 500 targets in Syria

So far, nothing is known about any public statements made by the rebel group Al-Sharaas regarding Israel’s massive air strikes. According to Israel’s army, more than 480 targets in Syria have been bombed. According to Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Katz, the neighboring country’s navy was virtually completely sunk. Since the Syrian rebels have not commented on the transfer of Israeli troops to the buffer zone in the Golan Heights, it is unclear whether they will accept Israel’s control over the occupied territory, wrote the Wall Street Journal.

Netanyahu stressed that Israel does not want to interfere in Syria’s internal affairs. However, he added, warning: “If the new regime in Syria allows Iran to re-establish itself or allows the transfer of Iranian weapons to (Lebanese) Hezbollah, we will respond forcefully and exact a heavy price.” What happened before with the Assad regime will then “also happen with this one,” said Netanyahu.

Al-Bashir takes over leadership of the interim government

According to his own statements, the previous head of government in the rebel stronghold of Idlib, Mohammed al-Bashir, is now taking over the leadership of a transitional government in Syria. The plan is for her to remain in office until March 2025, he announced. At a meeting in Damascus, rebel leader Al-Sharaa and ministers from the current government discussed the transition.

Both sides are reportedly seeking a smooth transfer of management operations. However, terrorism expert Peter Neumann is not the only one who has doubts as to whether Syria is really developing towards democracy and the rule of law. Al-Sharaa broke away from the terrorist network Al-Qaeda years ago, said Neumann in the ZDF “heute journal”. However, his group is still Islamist and aims to introduce a kind of theocracy in Syria.

Israel wants to ensure that there is no threat from Syria and has therefore probably destroyed 70 to 80 percent of Syrian military installations, Neumann said. U.S. National Security Council Communications Director John Kirby said of Israel’s military action in Syria: “We recognize, of course, that Israel lives in a difficult neighborhood and, as always, has the right to defend itself.” But they don’t want “any actor to act in a way that makes it more difficult for the Syrian people to establish a legitimate government,” emphasized Kirby.

Scholz talks to Erdogan about the situation in Syria

Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan discussed the situation in Syria by telephone. “Both agreed that the fall of the dictatorial Assad regime was a very good development,” said government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit in the evening. Now it must be about making Syria a safe home for all Syrians. This also means maintaining territorial integrity and sovereignty. EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also spoke on the phone with Erdogan and then said she wanted to travel to Turkey for talks next week.

Jake Sullivan, US President Joe Biden’s national security adviser, is traveling to Israel today for talks. In addition to the situation in Syria, efforts to release the hostages in the still embattled Gaza Strip will also be discussed, said Kirby. There, Israel continues to wage war against the Islamist Hamas. Efforts to achieve a ceasefire and the release of the hostages remaining in Hamas’ control have so far been unsuccessful.

UN Emergency Relief Office: Humanitarian situation in Syria remains unstable

Meanwhile, the first steps towards normality are taking place in Syria. Officials in the capital Damascus were focused on getting fuel for buses to get employees to work and dealing with power outages, the Wall Street Journal reported. According to eyewitnesses, central bank employees also returned to their jobs.

However, many shops remained closed due to a lack of supplies. The United Nations Emergency Relief Office (OCHA) said there were reports of food shortages in Damascus and many other cities. The humanitarian situation in the country, which has been tormented by dictatorship and years of civil war, is unstable. Since the rebels’ lightning offensive began two weeks ago, the price of bread in cities like Idlib and Aleppo has risen by 900 percent.

OCHA warned of minefields that restricted people’s movement and the delivery of goods. Hospitals are also overwhelmed by the high number of patients with physical and mental injuries. Many people suffered from enormous psychological stress. Children in particular showed signs of trauma.